Colonel Meow Has Longest Cat Hair, Says Guinness (Video)

Colonel Meow, known among Internet cat enthusiasts for his puffed out hair, has been recognized by Guinness World Records for having the longest fur.

Three independent veterinarians measured 10 strands of the Colonel's hair and found the average length to be nine inches.

"We already knew that he was the best cat in the world, but to be recognized in the Guinness World Records book takes it to the next level," said the Colonel's owner, Anne Marie Avey, in a Guinness World Records press release.

A two-year-old Himalayan-Persian cat from Los Angeles, Calif., Colonel Meow's YouTube channel has already received more than two million views. His Facebook page has more than 185,000 likes.

There are downsides to being the owner of the world's longest haired domestic cat, including being attached to a lint roller, Avey admitted.

"I have a lint roller in my car, in my bedroom on my nightstand, in the kitchen like we have one everywhere because his hair gets everywhere, but it's worth it," said Avey.

"His fur is so epic — it takes two of us to properly brush him," Avey and co-owner Eric Rosario added. "Literally everything in the house has hair on it, including us! I feel like I’m always vacuuming!"

Colonel Meow enjoys relaxing by the pool and resting in his multi-tier bed, which Avey refers to as his "cat castle," from which he "looks down on everyone and surveys the entire room."

Life wasn't always so easy for this long-haired feline.

"He was abandoned on the side of the road with a couple of other cats. He was then picked up and taken to a kill shelter," Avey told Purina's Petcentric in a YouTube interview. "Through the Persian-Himalayan [Cat Rescue] Society, he was rescued [and] because of them I was able to adopt him at Petco."

Avey said she first saw Colonel Meow when she was taking her Golden retriever "Boots," to get groomed and knew right then and there she had to adopt him.

His Internet fame was unintentional, according to Avey, who says she began posting candid shots of Colonel Meow online, which were then shared by others.

"Colonel Meow is being groomed for stardom, and I know the furry feline will be a big hit with readers," saod Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glanday. "He's an incredible creature, and he'll undoubtedly inspire people all around the world to whip out their rulers and start measuring their own cat's fur."